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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27258802">The Quiet Between Storms</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/duchessofthemoonbase/pseuds/duchessofthemoonbase'>duchessofthemoonbase</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Royalty, Amnesia, Day 5, Dune AU, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, damereycreationsweek</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 01:20:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,094</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27258802</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/duchessofthemoonbase/pseuds/duchessofthemoonbase</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Damerons and the Skywalkers have been warring over Arrakis for centuries, and now a new generation is taking over the fight: the noble Duke Poe Dameron and his rival, the Duchess Rey Skywalker, a Reverend Mother trained in the ways of the Bene Gesserit.</p><p>They’ve never met, this Duke and Duchess—but when they do, they’ll have to face the ancient conflict that’s shaped their world—and resist the string of fate that pulls them together.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Poe Dameron/Rey</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>35</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>If you want to read but are unfamiliar with Dune, this glossary is a good resource! (I did change some things from canon for my convenience xD )<br/>https://nerdist.com/article/dune-glossary-important-terms-to-know/</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>“It is unknown to us whether the Bene Gesserit shipped Damerey, but the evidence certainly supports it. Those old broads had some fair points I guess.”</strong><br/>
<strong>-From “Muad’Dib: I’m Starting to Think He Might Have Been Kind of an Asshole?” by the Princess Irulan.</strong>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>This is your moment, Rey Skywalker. After the ceremony is completed, a thousand generations will live within you. You will carry the Bene Gesserit forward.</em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Rey would never forget the moment she became a Reverend Mother, the terrifying process that consisted of imbibing one poison after another. She had tried to stay calm as she looked within herself, closed in on the smallest processes of her body until every molecule was benign. And then there were the visions; this new feeling that she was a thousand people at once, commingled with a sudden truth that all the universe was one. A revelation.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">The elder Reverend Mother Ahsoka had sat before her, weak and dying, using the last of her strength to ensure that Rey carried each and every piece of her wisdom forward.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>You have trained in the weirding way since you were a child. This time we live in, my dearest, is unlike any other. War, destruction…it looms.</em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">She remembered staring at the old Reverend Mother until the life left her eyes, hoping and praying for even one more piece of wisdom—and then she got it.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>This conflict between the Skywalkers and the Damerons…it has gone on for too long. There is too much strength in you. In him. Do not destroy yourselves. There is only one way to produce the Kwisatz Haderach, the child who can see where we cannot. There is only one way for the people of Arrakis to live in peace. You must…</em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Reverend Mother Ahsoka’s eyes had flickered shut.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Rey remembered sitting before her lifeless body and trembling as she stood, trying to balance this new weight that now existed on her soul, on her consciousness. She had survived the test, and now was the time to rest, to reflect and meditate on her new role. But despite her years of training, only one thought prevailed:</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>What she said about the Damerons…about the Kwisatz Haderach…she couldn’t possibly mean…</em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">No, Rey told herself. Nothing but the strange mutterings of a dying woman, and nothing to concern herself with.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p1">“You did <em>what?</em>” Kes demanded at the dinner table that evening.</p><p class="p1">“Don’t fret over it,” the Duke Poe Dameron said. “Besides, now that you’ve handed down the ducal title to me, aren’t I allowed to do what I please—without your judgement?”</p><p class="p1">Kes turned to their family mentat, Snap Wexley, who had accompanied the Duke on his outing today. “How big was this worm, Wexley?”</p><p class="p1">“About 300 meters long, sir.”</p><p class="p1">Kes sighed in resignation. “Well, I suppose that is impressive. But no one with your title should be out in the desert cavorting with the Fremen, riding worms. These impulsive habits of yours need to stop. It’s just not becoming of a duke—especially one who is yet to find his duchess.”</p><p class="p1">“Again father, I remind you,” Poe said. “The Fremen are important allies for us to have. It’s important that I befriend them and learn their customs. They have a great amount of wisdom about this planet, and I intend to learn as much as I can.”</p><p class="p1">“I suppose you have a point,” Kes said. “Perhaps knowing the ways of the Fremen <em>is </em>a good investment of your time.” He turned to Snap. “Are there any new intelligence reports in on the Skywalkers?”</p><p class="p1">“Nothing good, sir,” Snap said. “They’ve taken down three of our ornithopters in the south.”</p><p class="p1">“That damned Bene Gesserit witch,” Kes muttered, putting his fist down on the table.</p><p class="p1">Poe rolled his eyes. “You don’t seriously think she used her abilities to take down those ornithopters from miles away, do you? It was just Skywalker troops.”</p><p class="p1">“Don’t underestimate the Bene Gesserit, son,” Kes said, taking a large swig of his drink. “Those women are strange. Unnatural. And the Duchess Skywalker is the worst of them.”</p><p class="p1">“Well, I’ll certainly agree with you on that,” Poe said, and his father smiled. All the power, all the spice, all the resources they had lost on Arrakis because of those awful Skywalkers…</p><p class="p1">“And remember,” Kes said. “Wexley and I are leaving first thing tomorrow morning.”</p><p class="p1">“Of course,” Poe said. He had almost forgotten that his father and their mentat were headed into the west to check up on the spice factories they had there. The trip would take a couple of weeks, and admittedly, Poe was looking forward to the quiet.</p><p class="p1">“And please,” Kes said, getting up from the table. “Consider what I said about the importance of an interplanetary alliance—a wife could secure that for you.”</p><p class="p1">“I know, father.”</p><p class="p1">“Or at least enjoy yourself a bit and get a concubine.”</p><p class="p1">“Yes, yes,” Poe said, rolling his eyes. His father had a hard time forgetting he was no longer the Duke sometimes—or <em>all</em> of the time.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p1">Luke Skywalker walked into the castle’s training room to meet his niece, who was fully absorbed with her practice as usual. The young Duchess Skywalker moved across the room; swift and strong as a desert storm and twice as dangerous. Luke had always known that his niece was talented with her weapons, but he also never grew tired of seeing the proof.</p><p class="p1">“So you’re really doing this?” Luke asked, sitting down on a nearby chair.</p><p class="p1">Rey smiled, the two knives still in her hands. “I thought I made my intentions perfectly clear.”</p><p class="p1">“And you really think you can assassinate the Duke Dameron?”</p><p class="p1">“Of course,” she said. “You read the intelligence report. He’ll be the only one in the castle of any importance for the next couple of weeks. An easy target. And you know just as well as I do that the reward will be well worth the risk.”</p><p class="p1">Luke looked at her with concern. “We’re already winning this fight. We possess far more spice than the Damerons do—we always have. And besides, you don’t even know what he looks like.”</p><p class="p1">“When I see a young man who looks impossibly smug with nothing to show for it, I’ll know. And I’m good with a knife.”</p><p class="p1">Luke sighed. “If you insist, niece. But I do hope you are considering the political ramifications of this kind of violence. You are still very new at being a Duchess.”</p><p class="p1">“As you so often remind me.”</p><p class="p1">“Well, since you’re annoyed with me already, I thought I may as well deliver some news.”</p><p class="p1">Rey spun across the floor and lunged at a mannequin with her long knife. “What is it?”</p><p class="p1">“Count Tarkin has sent me an inquiry about arranging a marriage between you and his son.”</p><p class="p1">She scoffed. “How disrespectful. I am the leader of House Skywalker and any marriage inquiries should be sent to me directly.”</p><p class="p1">“So I told him,” Luke said. “But that’s not the point. I wanted to ask you something.”</p><p class="p1">“Yes?”</p><p class="p1">“The Bene Gesserit…their breeding program to create the Kwisatz Haderach, the male child who can see where the Bene Gesserit cannot…even as a Duchess and now a Reverend Mother, you are not exempt from this?”</p><p class="p1">“No.”</p><p class="p1">“What I have heard is that Reverend Mothers will sometimes receive such assignments through visions during the ceremony as opposed to simply being told,” Luke said. “You received no such vision? You are not to have a child?”</p><p class="p1">Rey aimed for the mannequin again, the knife falling out of her sweaty grip. “No,” she said, avoiding her uncle’s gaze. “I suppose it was not meant to be.”</p><p class="p1">“Reverend Mother Ahsoka told you nothing?”</p><p class="p1">
  <em>There is too much strength in you. In him. You must…</em>
</p><p class="p1">“No,” she said, giving Luke the kind of stern look that would force him to change the subject.</p><p class="p1">“Very well then,” he said, walking out.</p><p class="p1">Rey stretched out as she tested her grip on the knives. Perhaps she was a failure of a Bene Gesserit, of a Reverend Mother. She had never lived to serve—she lived to rule, and once she was standing in front of Poe Dameron with a weapon in hand, her domain would only stand to grow larger.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p1">Why must the Dameron’s castle look like <em>that?</em></p><p class="p1">It was a structure that belonged on their native planet of Caladan, not on Arrakis. It was a massive stone castle with high walls and turrets, and if they were on a planet with a decent supply of water, it would’ve certainly had a moat. It looked strangely eerie in the middle of the desert, like a lost child far from home.</p><p class="p1">Of course, Rey couldn’t simply knock on the door.</p><p class="p1">She’d have to climb.</p><p class="p1">Rey waited behind a large sand dune wrapped in her traveling robes, watching the castle carefully to see if there were any guards standing by, any people walking in and out. Once the coast looked clear, she made her way toward the castle, ducking behind statues and equipment until she had reached the back wall.</p><p class="p1">This looked like the only plausible way she could climb in—a rocky turret that stretched up four stories. There was a window near the top that she could probably pry open.</p><p class="p1">Rey took a deep breath and grabbed onto a rock, pulling herself up. She wasn’t the most skilled climber, but she was adept enough that she could make her way up. The rocks were smooth and slippery from being worn down from the sand—not the easiest to grip.</p><p class="p1">She was about halfway up, the window already tantalizingly close. She steadied her feet, pushing herself up to grab the next rock. Now all she would have to do was move her foot here, find her balance there, and—</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p1">The Duke Poe Dameron sat alone in his office with a massive pile of correspondence to respond to. There was nothing he hated more than the tone he had to put on while writing these letters, the equal airs of subservience and dominance he had to consistently display to his allies. Even around his father and Snap he had to be a duke first, and a son second. He felt a need to constantly prove himself.</p><p class="p1">“My Lord Duke,” came a small voice on the other side of the door. “Something has happened.”</p><p class="p1">Poe sat back in his chair. “Come in.”</p><p class="p1">It was an old Fremen woman, one of only a few servants who remained at the castle with him. She shrunk back, small and afraid.</p><p class="p1">“It’s quite alright,” Poe said. “What’s the news?”</p><p class="p1">“Perhaps you should see for yourself, my Lord.”</p><p class="p1">Poe stood up and followed the woman through the castle until they reached a storage closet near the door that led out to the back. The woman paused in front of the door, trembling.</p><p class="p1">Poe kneeled down so his face was level with the servant. “What’s in there that has you so afraid?”</p><p class="p1">“It’s her, my lord,” she whispered. “<em>The Skywalker witch.”</em></p><p class="p1">“I don’t understand.”</p><p class="p1">“I think she was trying to scale the building,” she said. “She must have fallen from a great height. She was muttering to herself and doesn’t seem to remember who or where she is.”</p><p class="p1">“Could be a trap.”</p><p class="p1">“Possibly, my lord.”</p><p class="p1">“Leave me,” Poe said, taking out his knife. “I’ll interrogate her myself.”</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p1"><em>Why is my mouth so dry?</em> she thought, still lost in the darkness. <em>Everything is so dry here. </em>She dreamt of rivers and oceans; tall glasses of lemonade and dew on the grass. <em>I must get some water.</em></p><p class="p1">She squirmed uncomfortably, and when she opened her eyes she found that she was bound with ropes, tied to a metal chair in a tiny room. <em>What? How did I get here? How long have I been here?</em></p><p class="p1">Her body felt alien and strange, from the thinly muscled arms to the fabric wrapped around her body.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>What is my name?</em>
</p><p class="p1">Panic swept through her.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>What is my name?</em>
</p><p class="p1">She didn’t have long to ponder the question. A few seconds later the door opened and a man walked in. He was bearded and wore a well-tailored uniform. He had an authoritative look in his eyes. The metal edge of a short knife glinted in his hand.</p><p class="p1">“Good afternoon,” he said.</p><p class="p1">She stared at him blankly. “Hello.”</p><p class="p1">The man pulled up a chair in front of her. “Would you like to explain yourself?”</p><p class="p1">“I don’t…I don’t think I can.”</p><p class="p1">“What’s your name? What are you doing here?”</p><p class="p1">She felt her palms go sweaty. “I don’t think I know.”</p><p class="p1">The man crossed his arms. “Do you know who I am?”</p><p class="p1">“No.”</p><p class="p1">He leaned closer, looking into her eyes as if he was trying to uncover something. “It’s a pretty little trick, if that’s what this is…” the man sneered. He pulled out a metallic device, some sort of medical scanner, and placed it over her forehead. “Stay still.”</p><p class="p1">She watched the man as they waited, noting that he was rather handsome, whoever he was. There was authority and grace in his movements, in his expressions, as if he was a king from a storybook.</p><p class="p1">The machine made a beeping noise and the man removed it from her head, examining the tiny screen on the device. “It says you have a very severe concussion—with memory loss.” He looked shocked when he met her eyes. “It’s not a ruse, then,” he said, staring at her with wonder. “You really don’t remember anything, do you?”</p><p class="p1">“Not really,” she said. “Do you think someone could draw me a bath?”</p><p class="p1">He just laughed.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">So this was her. <em>The Duchess Skywalker.</em></p><p class="p1">He supposed he had been surprised. Poe had been taught to fear the Skywalkers, and their powerful Bene Gesserit daughter most of all, ever since he was a child. He had always imagined her as hideous, cold, a woman of such unnatural evil that one could hardly bear to look at her.</p><p class="p1">But she wasn’t that at all. The Duchess Rey Skywalker was only a woman. And quite a pretty one at that. She seemed…kind. Perhaps the kindness was only a part of her scrambled brain, but from their short interaction alone, she seemed harmless. He’d untied her and dropped her off in one of the guest rooms to rest, leaving a guard outside the door. Memory loss or not, she would never be quite above suspicion.</p><p class="p1">He hadn’t forgotten the fact that she had been found outside the wall by the back window, crumpled from a hard fall. She’d been trying to break into the castle, at a time when Poe was conveniently here alone. There had been knives found on her person, which were swiftly confiscated.</p><p class="p1">She had been trying to kill him. That much was obvious.</p><p class="p1">And Poe knew what his father would tell him to do.</p><p class="p1">It would of course be easy to kill Rey Skywalker now—but it didn’t feel quite fair. Killing her now would be like killing a child. When her memory returned, perhaps they would duel. He would only want to take her out if it was a fair fight.</p><p class="p1">But for now she was stuck here, without a clue of who she was or why she should hate him.</p><p class="p1">This could be interesting.</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p1">“Your arm is sprained, you know,” the bearded man from before said, walking into the guest room with a small medkit. “It’s a miracle you survived that fall at all, let alone got out with only a sprained arm and a concussion.”</p><p class="p1">“I suppose I landed head first,” she said, looking up at him with a cautious smile. “What’s your name?”</p><p class="p1">“I am the Duke Poe Dameron,” he said, and she felt her posture stiffen: <em>someone important, then. </em>“I am the highest authority in these parts of Arrakis. You may live here in comfort until you recover.”</p><p class="p1">“Thank you, my lord duke,” she said. He smirked when she said his title and bowed her head to him, but she could not think as to why.</p><p class="p1">“Let me fix up your arm,” he said, kneeling before her.</p><p class="p1">“Oh, I—”</p><p class="p1">“<em>Let me,</em>” he soothed, looking up at her as he unwrapped a roll of bandages. This close she could see his eyes were a warm, deep brown, and that his dark hair and beard had artful streaks of gray in them.</p><p class="p1">She surrendered to him, watched as tender, calloused fingers wrapped the cloth around her arm and shoulder, expertly tying it into a sling. She couldn’t quite figure out how to categorize this Duke…clearly he was a powerful figure, someone to be feared, but there was a tenderness in his gaze and movements that belied his title.</p><p class="p1">“How does that feel?” he asked as he stood up.</p><p class="p1">She smiled. “You’ve done this before.”</p><p class="p1">The Duke nodded. “I must always be prepared to tend to my men in battle.”</p><p class="p1">“Many men of your station would consider that beneath them.”</p><p class="p1">“You flatter me,” he said. “Any other Duke would do the same for those who have protected him in his darkest hour.” He sighed, as if his mind was narrowing back to a bloodier time. “Dinner will be served in the dining hall in an hour. I would like for you to join me, if that is what you wish.”</p><p class="p1">“I would, thank you,” she said, watching as the Duke nodded and made his exit.</p><p class="p1">A maid came in a few minutes later, opening a closet that contained exquisite, expensive-looking dresses, all beaded and embroidered in painstaking detail. She supposed she couldn’t wear the dirty robes she had been injured in at the table of someone that important.</p><p class="p1"><em>The Duke Poe Dameron,</em> she thought, thinking of how intoxicating those brown eyes had looked up close. An interesting name for an interesting man.</p><p class="p1">—and yet she still couldn’t recall her own.</p><p>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>“After looking at the case of the Duke Leto Atreides and his concubine Lady Jessica, as well as that of the smuggler Han Solo and the Princess Leia Organa, we can come to certain conclusions. Most notable of these is that two really hot people should never have kids. Logically one would think you’d end up with another hot person, but evidence shows most of the time you just get a genocidal maniac who looks like he works at Hot Topic.”</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>-Footnote from “Muad’Dib at Mealtime: Spicy Weeknight Recipes for the Whole Sietch in 30 Minutes or Less” by the Princess Irulan.</strong>
</p><p> </p><p class="p1">“Sir…” the maid said. “I do not mean to question your judgement, but—”</p><p class="p1">“I know what I’m doing, I assure you,” Poe said, nodding to her. “I’ve done a brain scan and her memory loss is completely genuine. I doubt she even knows the name Skywalker.”</p><p class="p1">“But the Bene Gesserit, my lord. They have their tricks. They can do things to the mind and body that the likes of us cannot dream of.”</p><p class="p1">“I have my guard up,” he said. “And I’d like to get to know my rival a little better while she’s here. Make sure she has something nice to wear to dinner.”</p><p class="p1">“But sir,” she said. “She’s not even <em>herself.</em>”</p><p class="p1">“Parts of her mind and heart will slip through,” the Duke said. “I’m sure of it.”</p><p class="p1">“Please, my lord, consider—”</p><p class="p1">“I appreciate your concern,” he said. “But I’ll deal with this myself.”</p><p class="p1">Half an hour later Poe went down to the dining hall, taking his usual seat at the end of the table to wait for his guest. He had ordered a simple dinner for them to share—chicken and pundi rice with a sauce of paradan melon, served with dry red Caladanian wine.</p><p class="p1">“Good evening,” the Duchess said, bowing before she walked to her seat at the table. She wore a long, intricately-beaded gown of the deepest blue, her eyes wide as she surveyed the scene before her. Her beauty was even more striking now that she had cleaned up from her injuries, and the Duke shifted in his chair as she approached.</p><p class="p1">“How are you feeling?” he asked. “I hope this food is to your liking.”</p><p class="p1">“It looks wonderful, thank you,” she answered. “And physically I feel quite well, although I’m still unable to remember a thing.”</p><p class="p1">“I truly am sorry,” the Duke said. “I cannot imagine how terrifying it must be to be without…context for anything. Do let me know if there’s anything else I can do to assist you as you recover.”</p><p class="p1">“Thank you,” she said, taking a sip of her wine. The dining table was long, so they sat at least ten feet apart, facing each other. He had to strain to hear her.</p><p class="p1">She ate quietly, this Duchess Skywalker…demurely and submissively, without any of the close observational habits of a trained Bene Gesserit. That was the strange part. She was no opponent without her memory and her identity, far from the woman who was probably attempting to assassinate him earlier in the day—she considered herself his subject, assumed he had complete power over her without a second thought.</p><p class="p1">How easily she had fallen into his hands—but why wasn’t he more thrilled about it?</p><p class="p1">She ate her meal silently, and he realized he would have to be the one to initiate any conversation. But what could he even ask her? She remembered nothing, after all.</p><p class="p1">“Is there anything you would like to know?” he asked. “Perhaps having a better idea of your surroundings would make you more comfortable.”</p><p class="p1">She looked up nervously from her plate. “Do you live here all alone?”</p><p class="p1">“Not usually,” Poe said. “Besides the servants, I live with my father, the former Duke Kes Dameron, and our mentat, Snap Wexley. Both of them are off traveling for a couple of weeks to check on some of our spice factories.”</p><p class="p1">“You have no wife?”</p><p class="p1">“No,” he said, feeling heat rush to his face.</p><p class="p1">“How strange,” Rey Skywalker said, very directly, and Poe felt himself taken aback.</p><p class="p1">“Why is that strange?”</p><p class="p1">She smiled. “If you truly are the most powerful man in these parts, you could wed anyone you liked—and even besides that,” she said, choosing the particular moment to take a sip of wine. “You are a very handsome man.”</p><p class="p1">Poe smiled back at her. It sent a thrill through him, this small flirtation. What a delight to play with someone so dangerous. “I have not met a woman who has enchanted me into proposing marriage just yet,” he said. “But perhaps one day.”</p><p class="p1">Her confidence seemed to be growing as they talked. “It must be a great responsibility, ruling Arrakis. You spoke of these…spice factories. You have to check in on them often?”</p><p class="p1">“Yes,” Poe said. “Spice is crucial to everything on Arrakis, of course. It’s vital that the Damerons maintain and grow their production of it.”</p><p class="p1">“So you compete with others, then?”</p><p class="p1">“Yes,” the Duke said. “Rival families. The feuds can be…brutal.” He considered, for a moment, mentioning the Skywalkers by name, but resisted due to a fear that hearing her surname might trigger her memory.</p><p class="p1">“It must be difficult,” she said. He noticed her watching him carefully, curiously, and sensed another question on her lips.</p><p class="p1">“Who are you?”</p><p class="p1">“I’ve told you, I am the Duke Poe—”</p><p class="p1">“No,” Rey said. “I mean…who are you when you’re not a Duke?”</p><p class="p1">Poe stopped to think. He’d never been asked a question like this. No one had ever considered who he was outside the trappings of nobility. The answer eluded him.</p><p class="p1">“Um,” he said.</p><p class="p1">“What do you like to do?”</p><p class="p1">Poe smiled. That was easier. “Adventuring, I suppose.”</p><p class="p1">“Here on Arrakis?”</p><p class="p1">“Yes,” Poe said. “My father disapproves, but I have many close friends among the Fremen who are teaching me the ways of the desert. They’ve been teaching me how to ride the sandworms.”</p><p class="p1">“What!?” she gasped. “People don’t actually do that, do they?”</p><p class="p1">“Of course they do,” Poe said. “There’s an art to it, of course, and it isn’t easy, but it’s a vital mode of transportation for the Fremen.”</p><p class="p1">“It sounds terrifying,” the Duchess Skywalker said. “Isn’t it easy to die during such a maneuver?”</p><p class="p1">“You sound like my father,” he answered. “He’s always getting on my case about my…recklessness.”</p><p class="p1">“I see, you’re a thrill-seeker,” she said. “That’s who you are.”</p><p class="p1">Poe smiled as he poured himself more wine. <em>Of course I am,</em> he thought. <em>I wouldn’t be sitting here making pleasant conversation with you if I wasn’t.</em></p><p class="p1">“Are you finished eating?” he asked.</p><p class="p1">“Yes, thank you.”</p><p class="p1">“Let me escort you back to your room.”</p><p class="p1">Poe led her up the stairs, watching as she walked a few feet ahead of him, the blue beaded dress hugging the muscular curves of her back. She was very beautiful, and <em>strong</em> too. Would he be able to take her in a fight? He might be physically stronger, but Rey Skywalker had an unrelenting ferocity to her, one that made him sure she’d be able to pin him down and—</p><p class="p1">He stopped the thought there. Maybe his father had a point about him getting a concubine.</p><p class="p1">Rey reached her door, turning around to face him before going in. She bowed demurely, looking up at him with bright hazel eyes.</p><p class="p1">“My Lord Duke,” she said under her breath. She held his stare for a second too long, and Poe couldn’t resist reaching his fingers out to touch her cheek.</p><p class="p1">“Rest well,” he whispered, shivering at the warmth of her skin under his fingers. She bowed to him again, and he watched her disappear behind the door.</p><p class="p1">What <em>fire</em> this woman was to play with.</p><p class="p1">It would be such a pity to kill her.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p1">She woke in the night and knew exactly what was wrong.</p><p class="p1">She could see the bruised and bleeding parts of her brain lighting up like a heat map; could sense the pathways she would need to take to heal them.</p><p class="p1">The ancient parts of her jolted to life, the Reverend Mothers of the past, sitting up one by one by one across the millenia, whispering<em>…</em></p><p class="p1">
  <em>Come back. Remember.</em>
</p><p class="p1">She was Bene Gesserit. She was a Reverend Mother. Healing was within her reach.</p><p class="p1">She laid back on the bed and focused on the processes of her body—the blood flowing through her brain, the neurons and synapses lighting up and dying and fading away. She felt herself move towards the injury, willing the cells to bind and multiply.</p><p class="p1">The matter melded together, the pink and gray fusing and fixing itself. She perfected every curve of tissue, every memory, until she—</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Rey Skywalker. I am Rey Skywalker. </em>
</p><p class="p1">Her life came back to her bit by bit. There was her unhappy and loveless childhood, all the training sessions with her uncle, the day the Reverend Mother Ahsoka had come to her with a tiny box in her hands. There was the day she had taken over House Skywalker, all those endless trade negotiations, the day she had imbibed the Water of Life and become a Reverend Mother herself. Then she remembered vowing to kill the Duke Dameron, setting off across the desert—</p><p class="p1">
  <em>No. No. No.</em>
</p><p class="p1">Rey clutched at her sheets, resisting the urge to scream as the memories from the day before came rushing back.</p><p class="p1">He’d played with her, mocked her, teased her, relished in her bowing to his authority because she didn’t know any better.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>That sick bastard.</em>
</p><p class="p1">The worst part was that she could remember her thoughts from yesterday, from when her mind was a blank slate. She had loved how tenderly he’d wrapped her arm. Then there was dinner, the pleasant conversation and subtle flirtations, how she’d cheekily asked him if he had a wife. She could still feel the burn of his hand upon her cheek, the molten heat of his stare.</p><p class="p1">If the Duke Poe Dameron was at all respectful, he would have killed her straightaway. But no. He had the audacity to play with her while her mind had been incapacitated. She remembered how he’d smirked at her the first time she’d bowed to him.</p><p class="p1">She was no toy for anyone’s amusement.</p><p class="p1">Poe Dameron would die for this, she decided. Before yesterday, she had planned to kill him cleanly, quickly. Not anymore. He’d suffer for putting her through this humiliation.</p><p class="p1">Rey scrambled through the room, looking for something to use as a weapon. She couldn’t wait any longer. She’d—</p><p class="p1">She stopped, her Bene Gesserit training taking over. She couldn’t be so rash. As talented as she was with her knives, she still didn’t quite know who she was going up against. Such an important task required more planning.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>And </em>
  <em>he still thinks I don’t remember a thing.</em>
</p><p class="p1">That was it, Rey thought, grinning to herself. This way, he’ll never see it coming. Let him think I’m a clueless waif who wandered lost into his castle. Let him think I submit to his authority, that I’m a silly girl who trembles at his touch.</p><p class="p1"><em>Let him,</em> Rey thought. <em>He’ll die for it.</em></p><p>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>
    
  </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Sister One: According to Mentat estimates, our program should produce the Kwisatz Haderach in about a thousand year’s time.</strong><br/>
<strong>Sister Two: But what if there’s a flaw in the plan? A sister who strays!</strong><br/>
<strong>Sister One: Blasphemy! Whatever do you mean?</strong><br/>
<strong>Sister Two: What about like…a really really hot guy.</strong><br/>
<strong>Sister One: A what!?!?</strong><br/>
<strong>Sister Two: Like…<em>REALLY</em> hot.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>-Testimony of the Ancient Bene Gesserit by an Anonymous Sister </strong>
</p><p> </p><p class="p1">Rey took in the castle with new eyes as she woke up.</p><p class="p1"><em>So this is it,</em> she thought. <em>This is where the Damerons commit their crimes. </em>Such a pretty place for such cruel, heartless people.</p><p class="p1">She’d come here with one purpose: to kill the Duke Poe Dameron. The amnesia had sidelined her a bit, but now she was back, as clever and strong as ever. And now, of course, she had an added advantage:</p><p class="p1">The Duke thought she was a fool. He thought she couldn’t remember a thing.</p><p class="p1">He didn’t even have the decency to kill her right away. He’d decided to keep her around in such a state, to play with her and laugh, a cat toying with its prey. And she’d flirted with him, not understanding who he was, and he had relished every second of it—despicable man.</p><p class="p1">She’d show him who the real fool was.</p><p class="p1">Rey referenced back to her Bene Gesserit training before she went down for breakfast. It was imperative that the Duke not notice the change in her. There could be no indication that her memory had returned. She practiced sweet, docile expressions in the mirror, calmed her breathing, and made her way down to breakfast.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p1">Poe sat at the head of the breakfast table, sipping at his spice coffee, waiting.</p><p class="p1">The Duchess showed up right on time, her brown hair styled neatly underneath her aba robes. She looked calm this morning, serene in a way that he found almost disconcerting.</p><p class="p1">“Did you sleep well?”</p><p class="p1">“Very well, my Lord Duke,” Rey replied, taking her seat. He couldn’t help but smile as his mind replayed her flirtations from the night before, the way that blue dress had hugged at her curves. His heart thrilled at having her here at the table, so close and yet so harmless—like petting a lion while it slept.</p><p class="p1">“You were asking about my contact with the Fremen, earlier,” Poe said. “If you’re curious, perhaps we could go out into the desert today. I’m itching for some adventure.”</p><p class="p1">“Very well,” the Duchess agreed. “We’ll set out after breakfast.”</p><p class="p1">Poe nodded, surprised at how quickly she had been to answer. The truth was, he was eager to show off his riding skills.</p><p class="p1"><em>Why?</em> Poe asked himself. Why was it so important that he charm this woman, this strange, half-shell of his nemesis? Was it because he wanted to hold it over her if her memory ever returned? Was it part of some complicated plan he was still formulating? Or was it simply because she was very beautiful?</p><p class="p1">Rey smiled at him politely, and he smirked. That remained to be seen.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">The ornithopter blew up clouds of sand as they lifted off, the Dameron castle growing smaller and smaller as they flew farther out. Rey shifted in her seat, the stillsuit she’d borrowed a little too tight for comfort.</p><p class="p1">She watched Poe carefully as he moved at the controls. He was a skilled pilot, but there was a tension in his movements that any Bene Gesserit would have noticed.</p><p class="p1">But he wasn’t scared of flying; or of the desert.</p><p class="p1">He was scared of her.</p><p class="p1">Even when he thought her memory was empty, that she was harmless, some part of him still regarded her as a trap about to spring on him.</p><p class="p1"><em>Very well then</em>, Rey thought. She’d just have to play a little harder.</p><p class="p1">“I’m frightened,” she lied, gripping onto the seat. “What if we get lost in the desert?”</p><p class="p1">Poe looked at her with genuine sympathy. <em>Good—he’s buying it.</em> “I wouldn’t worry,” he said. “I know how to survive out here. You’re perfectly safe with me.”</p><p class="p1">Rey looked out the window, pretending to swoon at the height. “And what are we doing out here, exactly?”</p><p class="p1">“Just a hobby of mine,” Poe said. “A hobby that my father thoroughly disapproves of.”</p><p class="p1">The Duke brought down the ornithopter at the sight of three figures in the distance. “I’ll introduce you to my friends. You’ll like them.”</p><p class="p1">“They’re Fremen?”</p><p class="p1">“Yes,” he said. “And they’ve taught me everything I know about how to survive on Arrakis.”</p><p class="p1">The ornithopter landed in the sand, the blades whirring to a stop. Poe jumped out and walked around to Rey’s side, taking her hand in his and helping her out onto the shifting dunes. She paused to glance up at him, his grip warmer and firmer than she’d expected. Something passed between them as their eyes met, but she couldn’t say what.</p><p class="p1">“Hello!” Poe called out. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve brought a friend.”</p><p class="p1">Rey walked out to see three Fremen standing in the distance. The first was a pretty young woman with brown skin and a bow and arrow in her hands. The second was a frail, white-haired man with a kindly smile. And the last…</p><p class="p1">The last was a tiny woman with large goggles, not quite human. She was staring at Rey and smiling.</p><p class="p1"><em>She knows,</em> Rey observed with a panic. <em>She knows I’m lying.</em></p><p class="p1">“Hello again,” Poe said, bowing. “This is my new friend, who can’t quite recall her name at the moment. There’s been a bit of an accident. And,” he said, motioning her forward. “This is Jannah, Obi-Wan, and Maz Kanata.”</p><p class="p1">They nodded at each other politely. Jannah and Obi-Wan immediately leapt into conversation with Poe, while Maz kept her eyes on Rey.</p><p class="p1"><em>Whatever she has, </em>Rey thought. <em>It’s beyond Bene Gesserit training.</em></p><p class="p1">“Well,” Jannah said, giving Poe a playful look. “I assume you’re here for another race?”</p><p class="p1">“You can count on it,” the Duke said. “Unless, of course, you’re scared of losing again,” he teased.</p><p class="p1">“You hear this?” she laughed, turning to Obi-Wan. “The off-worlder thinks Shai-Hulud does his bidding.”</p><p class="p1">“He did last time.”</p><p class="p1">Maz looked off into the distance. “You’re wrong, my Lord Duke. Only a fool thinks he can conquer this wretched planet. One can only survive it.”</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p1">Poe and Jannah walked forward and placed their thumpers in the sand: short stakes with spring-driven clappers attached. The rhythm would draw the worms towards them, and then they’d be off.</p><p class="p1">Rey, Obi-Wan, and Maz were watching from behind them. With her blank memory, Poe knew that Rey had never seen someone ride a worm, but he was quite sure the Duchess Skywalker wouldn’t have either—and besides, it wasn’t like it was a spectacle one grew bored of.</p><p class="p1">Poe smiled at Jannah, both of them poised with their maker-hooks in hand: they’d use these to mount the worms and steer them. She was grinning, but not in the smug way he would have expected from a competitor.</p><p class="p1">“What?” Poe asked.</p><p class="p1">“Maz sees right through you,” she said. “You and everyone else who comes here for the spice.”</p><p class="p1">“She does, does she?”</p><p class="p1">“Yes,” Jannah said. They both perked up as they saw two mounds of sand moving closer at the edge of their vision. “She’s very old. She’s seen people like you die of their arrogance.”</p><p class="p1">Poe scoffed. “She barely knows me.”</p><p class="p1">“She likes you,” Jannah said. “She likes you better than some. She thinks there’s a grace and a kindness to you that she hasn’t seen before.”</p><p class="p1">Poe didn’t have time to take in the compliment, the two mounds of sand rapidly growing closer.</p><p class="p1">“First one to the far wall, two miles out?”</p><p class="p1">“You’re on,” Jannah grinned.</p><p class="p1">Poe’s heart raced as he watched the brownish-pink curve of a worm peek out of the sand. No matter how many times he did this, he never got past the majesty of the things, of how small he felt in their presence. He held the hooks steady in his hand, waited until the perfect moment, ran forward, and jumped.</p><p class="p1">He mounted the worm, positioning the hooks so that one of the worm’s rings was held open, leaving its soft inner skin exposed and vulnerable to the sand—this would keep the worm above ground while it carried him.</p><p class="p1">Jannah had mounted her worm as well, and she grinned from across the sand as she took the lead: <em>not for long</em>, Poe thought.</p><p class="p1">He turned around and saw Rey, Obi-Wan, and Maz, three tiny figures in the distance. If only he was close enough to see the look on the Duchess’s face…</p><p class="p1">Poe let out a whoop as he passed Jannah, the adrenaline rushing through his veins. Part of him knew he risked his life every time he did this, but the sense of victory he felt every time he dismounted after a successful ride was worth the risk.</p><p class="p1">Kes’s words rang through his head: <em>you still act like a child, a cocky adrenaline junkie who isn’t yet level-headed enough to take on the responsibilities of—</em></p><p class="p1">Well, Kes wasn’t here right now.</p><p class="p1">Poe grimaced as he noticed Jannah pass in front of him again, waving gleefully. He pulled harder on the maker hooks. <em>Just a little more, and—</em></p><p class="p1">He was suddenly distracted by a group of people standing out in the distance: he could already tell from their clothes that they weren’t Fremen. They were walking towards where they’d left Rey, Obi-Wan, and Maz.</p><p class="p1">He had a bad feeling about this.</p><p class="p1">Jannah reached the wall before him, dismounting with a cheer. Poe dismounted a minute later, running up to meet her.</p><p class="p1">“Ha,” she gloated. “Now what were you saying about Shai-Hulud doing your bidding?”</p><p class="p1">“Jannah—” Poe panted out, pointing to the group gathered in the distance. “We have to go back—now. If we run we can beat them there.”</p><p class="p1">She shuddered as she watched the figures march through the desert. “Let’s go.”</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p1">Rey was ecstatic.</p><p class="p1">Her Uncle Luke had told her stories of the Fremen riding worms, but she’d never dared believe they were true: a human, somehow controlling the majesty and strength of such a creature. Even after she’d seen it with her own eyes, it still seemed impossible.</p><p class="p1">“Oh dear,” said Obi-Wan next to her. “Someone’s coming.”</p><p class="p1">Just as Jannah and Poe were dismounting their worms, they spotted a group of figures, five, perhaps, walking towards them in the distance. They wore black, no stillsuits, and moved in a steady formation.</p><p class="p1">“I think Poe and Jannah have spotted them too,” Maz observed. “They’re running back.”</p><p class="p1">It was all the three of them could do but wait.</p><p class="p1">Poe and Jannah reached just in time, Jannah’s eyes widening as she reexamined the approaching party. “The uniforms,” she panted out, catching her breath. “They’re Huxren—neither of the leaders, thank the maker, but soldiers affiliated with them.”</p><p class="p1">House Huxren was a rival of both the Damerons and the Skywalkers…as well as, well, <em>everyone.</em> The house was ruled over by a married couple, the Counts Kylo Ren and Armitage Hux, both of them ruthless and fond of starting violence.</p><p class="p1">Rey took a deep breath as she thought over the situation. The soldiers would most likely recognize the Dameron uniform and attack Poe. Jannah seemed equipped to fight, but her two companions were older and more frail. She could defend them, but—</p><p class="p1">If Rey fought, the Duke would know. He’d know her memory had returned, and then her plan was ruined.</p><p class="p1">Her best course of action now was to hide—hide and act like a scared, defenseless girl.</p><p class="p1">Jannah turned to her as the soldiers grew closer. “Can you fight?”</p><p class="p1">“No,” Rey answered.</p><p class="p1">Poe gestured towards her and the two older Fremen. “Go hide behind the ornithopter,” he said. “We’ll try and fight them off. Can any of you fly?”</p><p class="p1">“It’s been a while, but I can,” Obi-Wan answered.</p><p class="p1">“If they defeat us, you three fly off,” Poe said, drawing a sword from his belt. He turned to Rey with a smile. “Go. It’ll be okay.”</p><p class="p1">Rey nodded, running off to duck behind the ornithopter with her two companions. Jannah already had an arrow loaded in her bow, ready to fire.</p><p class="p1">There was no conversation, no chance for Poe and Jannah to state their case, to plead for peace. All it took was one look at Poe’s house insignia on his stillsuit for the soldiers began attacking.</p><p class="p1">Rey watched from behind the ornithopter with wide eyes, her hands itching at her sides: she’d never been denied the opportunity to fight. If only she could get her hands on a sword! Refraining from the battle was tearing her apart inside.</p><p class="p1">She noticed Maz watching her again: <em>how much does she know?</em></p><p class="p1">Two of the soldiers were already down, one from Poe’s sword and another from one of Jannah’s arrows. The three remaining soldiers looked stronger, but what Poe and Jannah lacked in strength they made up for in speed and strategy. Rey watched in astonishment as Poe cornered one of the soldiers with his sword, distracting him so Jannah could take him out with an arrow.</p><p class="p1">Two left. An even playing field.</p><p class="p1">Jannah shot one of the soldiers in the foot: what looked like a bad shot, Rey knew from her studies, was actually a clever ploy. The small injury knocked the solider backwards just enough for him to meet his death at the end of Poe’s sword.</p><p class="p1">The last soldier laughed: he was clearly the strongest, and the cleverest, and it showed in his eyes.</p><p class="p1">“You’ll die, Dameron,” she heard the soldier shout. “You’ll die just like your lousy dead whore of a moth—!”</p><p class="p1">The sword went through his throat before he could finish his sentence.</p><p class="p1">“Thank the maker,” Obi-Wan said. “We’re safe.”</p><p class="p1">Rey readjusted her posture as she saw Poe approach. The Duchess Skywalker was no stranger to battle, to death, but this girl...this girl would be traumatized.</p><p class="p1">Jannah embraced Maz and Obi-Wan, holding them tight. They waved good-bye to Poe and Rey, walking off into the desert.</p><p class="p1">Rey engineered a shaking sob to reverberate through her body as soon as Poe reached her.</p><p class="p1">“Hey!” he said. “Hey! Are you alright?”</p><p class="p1">“No,” Rey stuttered out. “I could have—we could have—those men, and the blood, and then—”</p><p class="p1">“Shh,” Poe said, taking her in his arms. “I got you.”</p><p class="p1">Rey sobbed, crying so hard so could hardly breathe. She trembled. It was ugly and undignified.</p><p class="p1">A small part of herself laughed: <em>and oh, so easy.</em></p><p class="p1">“We’re safe now,” Poe said, rocking her back and forth. “We’re going to fly back home, have a nice dinner. We don’t have to go out into the desert again if you don’t want to.”</p><p class="p1">“It was terrible,” she cried. “I—” She was crying in short gasps, still pretending to be completely panicked.</p><p class="p1">“Let me carry you in,” the Duke said. He picked her up in his arms as carried her up to the passenger seat of the ornithopter. “There you go,” he said, squeezing her hand. Rey used her training to observe his expression, his concern. It was completely genuine.</p><p class="p1">“You’re safe now, sweetheart,” he said, helping her with her seatbelt.</p><p class="p1"><em>Sweetheart,</em> Rey thought, still forcing out tears. <em>What a fool.</em></p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p1">As Poe led the crying Duchess Skywalker back into the castle, he thought of the beggar that used to come to their door every week when he was a child.</p><p class="p1">Poe had been allotted a small allowance, and for the first few weeks, he had given it to the beggar without question. Shara had praised him for his kindness, but Kes had disapproved.</p><p class="p1">“A little charity is respectable,” Kes had said. “But you must keep something for yourself.”</p><p class="p1">“I have everything, Papa,” Poe had countered. “He has nothing.”</p><p class="p1">“You can’t run a Dukedom on kindness alone,” Kes had said. “One day, someone will take advantage of your soft heart.”</p><p class="p1">Poe’s soft heart had compelled him to comfort the Duchess, to carry her into the ornithopter and soothe her until her breathing steadied. Her distress seemed genuine. Sure, she lived in the body of a woman who had once set out to murder him, but right now, as far as he knew, she was a lost girl. She was without blame and she deserved affection after what she’d seen in the desert.</p><p class="p1">Rey had finally stopped crying over dinner, and then turned deathly quiet. She didn’t eat much. Her eyes looked empty all evening, except for one brief glimmer of excitement, as if she’d had a brilliant idea and then set it aside.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p1"><em>Yes,</em> Rey thought, taking another spoonful of rice. <em>I’ll get him while he’s asleep. It’ll be so easy. And I have the perfect excuse.</em></p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p1">Poe went up to his bedroom later that night and crawled into bed, bare except for a pair of black sleep pants. He’d made sure the Duchess was comfortable, giving her a cup of tea to calm her before bed.</p><p class="p1">But how would <em>he </em>sleep? He’d killed men earlier in the day, and then of course this whole situation with the Duchess—</p><p class="p1">There was a knock on the door.</p><p class="p1">“My Lord Duke?” whispered a small voice.</p><p class="p1">It was her.</p><p class="p1">“Yes?” Poe asked, sitting up. “Come in.”</p><p class="p1">It was Rey, small and trembling in a blue nightgown. “I can’t…” she stuttered out. “The nightmares, about earlier, I can’t—”</p><p class="p1">“Come here,” he said.</p><p class="p1">Rey fell into his arms, still shaking. He rubbed soothing patterns up and down her arms, calming her. Her skin was softer than he’d imagined, and stronger too, muscles hiding underneath the surface.</p><p class="p1">“You can stay here if you need to,” Poe whispered. “I’ll hold you until you fall asleep.”</p><p class="p1">“My Lord, I could never make such an imposition, I—”</p><p class="p1">“It’s alright,” he said, lowering them both down and lifting the blankets over them. “Just listen to my breathing and focus on staying calm. I’ll be right here if the nightmares come back.”</p><p class="p1">She nodded quietly, resting her head on his chest.</p><p class="p1">Poe ran his fingers through her hair and smiled at her in the dark. It had been so long since he’d had someone in his bed, someone to hold close like this. It relaxed him as well.</p><p class="p1"><em>Sweet girl,</em> he thought, drifting into sleep. <em>I’ll protect you.</em></p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p1">Poe thought she was asleep.</p><p class="p1">But she was wide awake—her Bene Gesserit training had taught her how to imitate sleep perfectly, the deep breathing and fluttering eyelids. She could sense the Duke watching her, could feel him stroking his fingers lazily through her hair. Her cheek was on his bare chest, warm and solid under her, and the coarse hairs of his beard tickled her forehead.</p><p class="p1">She felt…lovely.</p><p class="p1">No one had ever held her. Her parents had died when she was an infant, and Uncle Luke had always been cold and distant. This sort of gentle touch was new. She felt so…so…<em>warm,</em> indescribably warm, as if her very being could be safe forever in this moment.</p><p class="p1">Other parts of her responded too, wetness spreading between her legs as her body pressed against him. That was only natural. I mean…</p><p class="p1">Rey thought of the knife she’d stashed under the mattress earlier in the evening. The Duke had just fallen into sleep, and it was the perfect time.</p><p class="p1">Poe made a small grumbling noise in his sleep and nuzzled closer to her, his arm slung around her waist. She laid on his chest, listening to his breath go in, out, in, out.</p><p class="p1"><em>Tomorrow,</em> she thought, holding Poe closer. <em>I’ll do it tomorrow.</em></p><p>
  
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